Conor Gallagher getting hooked at half-time was harsh… but Kobbie Mainoo proved he’s answer to England’s midfield woes
KOBBIE Mainoo was always my preference to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold in England’s midfield.
I think he showed why in the second half tonight.
But I still feel that it was harsh on Conor Gallagher that he was taken off at half time.
Firstly because it was probably our best half of the tournament.
And secondly, because it didn’t feel like a Gareth Southgate thing to do.
It will knock Gallagher’s confidence for sure.
He will have thought that this was his chance, but he only gets a half.
Having said that, despite the disappointing result, the second half was better and Mainoo proved he is the man – or boy – to play there in future.
He’s only 19 but he understands the game so well and knows what it needs.
He is better on the ball than Gallagher and he also allowed Declan Rice to get forward even more in the second half than he had in the first.
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It might not feel like it, but England WERE better overall.
The 4-1-4-1 formation worked.
It keeps the width and gives you two pocket players, in the first half Gallagher and Bellingham, then Mainoo and Bellingham.
For Slovenia defending in their four it was hard for them to keep moving across.
Eventually one of them would be a little bit late, and that would open up a line that you could pass through.
That’s what happened for the disallowed goal and although Foden was a good way offside, that kind of pass from Rice was something we should have done more.
We had more of the ball and seemed more in control. But I wanted us to be braver.
It proves the point that Declan Rice can do that position on his own.
It sounds strange to say it, but even though he was in a more withdrawn role, he seemed to have more freedom to get forward.
The best thing about Gallagher was his positioning. I thought he could have done more with the ball and he gave it away a few times.
He was staying on the back of the Slovenian midfielder. That meant the player could not go and press Rice because it would have left Gallagher completely free.
He was very intelligent and disciplined in that sense. One of the reasons it wasn’t working with Trent was because Trent is a player who wants to get on the ball and make things happen. That is very hard against a block.
He gives you that energy. He’s probably not ever going to be a midfielder who can dictate the game for a team.
But it doesn’t mean he won’t be successful because he can offer something different. He can occupy players and open up space for other players.
But Mainoo does that, and more.
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Overall it was better but still some way off what I think this team can be.
It can’t be that we’re not fit, but we must have been feeling the heat. It is hard to play when it’s hot and humid.
Or maybe the gameplan was to let Slovenia have it in certain areas.
Whatever the reasons, I didn’t see an energetic, high pressing team.
Slovenia weren’t pressing like Denmark. It was only really on a backwards pass that they were more aggressive.
We needed to move the ball quicker and to pass the ball forward sooner.
Sometimes they should have missed a man out when moving it across the back and giving us the chance to go round the outside.
There were a few good combinations at a higher tempo but I felt we could have done it more. We have the players with the intelligence and quality to do it.
Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden rotated nicely at times, but Bellingham looked like he had lost a little bit of confidence, though.
We definitely needed a change on the wings and it was good to see Cole Palmer get on to the pitch.
We had so little to do defensively, we could have brought Trent on sooner.
We didn’t create enough going forward, which is disappointing given all the talent we have.
But we’re in the knockout stages, and Mainoo showed that he can get us on the front foot.
I just feel a bit sorry for Gallagher.
